Planting bamboos...

Rancid

Is there any reason not to plant bamboos this time of the year?

I have 3 Phyllostachys bissetii still in the tubs I bought them in, and eventually I'm ready to plant them, but just wondering if they'll take kindly to being planted in this weather?
I do NOT want to kill them!

Sonnenblumen

Hope you've done your homework on growth habits etc. Actually now is a very good time of year to plant, as you will not need to be too worried about the watering in/settling period which can be tedious for bamboos. So fire ahead and plant.

Rancid

I think I've got it right, I'm planting them in front of a fence and the ground is pretty damp right now. They'll get any sun that's going with only a little shade from some nearby trees.

Grand, so, I'll get them planted sometime this week. Thanks!

IpreDictDeatH

Yea bamboos are one of my fav plants. But some of them are a nightmare for suckering. You can plant them in their pots to try and avoid this, but then you have to watch the watering even more. The bisettii is a monster of a plant, i take it that its being put in for screening? How did the planting go?

Rancid

IpreDictDeatH wrote: »

Yea bamboos are one of my fav plants. But some of them are a nightmare for suckering. You can plant them in their pots to try and avoid this, but then you have to watch the watering even more. The bisettii is a monster of a plant, i take it that its being put in for screening? How did the planting go?

Screening, yes. I dug out a couple vastly overgrown Griselinia and replaced the fence that was behind them.
Now the bamboos are now in place in front of it.
So far so good.

IpreDictDeatH

Rancid wrote: »

Screening, yes. I dug out a couple vastly overgrown Griselinia and replaced the fence that was behind them.
Now the bamboos are now in place in front of it.
So far so good.

Good job dumping the Griselinia:)

Rancid

IpreDictDeatH wrote: »

Good job dumping the Griselinia:)

I waited a long time to get rid of them and redo the garden and then I pick the wettest year to do it, damnit!:rolleyes:

bibibobo

Rancid wrote: »

Is there any reason not to plant bamboos this time of the year?

I have 3 Phyllostachys bissetii still in the tubs I bought them in, and eventually I'm ready to plant them, but just wondering if they'll take kindly to being planted in this weather?
I do NOT want to kill them!

just wondering where you bought the bamboo and how much did you pay for them and what size were they? thanks.B

Rancid

bibibobo wrote: »

just wondering where you bought the bamboo and how much did you pay for them and what size were they? thanks.B

Dublin, Woodies DIY, €69.95 each. and between 7 and 8ft tall.

They still have them, and the P. Nigra and Aurea, too. All in good condition, nice and healthy.
I think they have some of the smaller bamboos, too.

Sonnenblumen

Bear in mind Bamboos are generally available and heights of 6' - 8' would be common. Yet prices will range from € 25.00 - € 45.00, apart from height, purchasers should look at the size of the root ball/pot size, so for example 6' x 10L plant might be € 25 but a similar height plant but in a 20L pot might be € 45.00. Why? More stems and bigger girth. So a pot containing a few 6' wispy shoots is not the same as one with fewer but more developed 6' stems.

If you purchase a better plant specimen, you could split the rootball and achieve even more value for your spend.

Regular feeding/watering will produce rapid development (new shoots and height) in bamboo, so don't be too influenced by height, but increasingly people prefer a more instantaneous mature look at planting stage.

Rancid

I just checked the pots mine came in and they're approx 12 inches in diameter and 12 inches high.
Lots of roots winding around everywhere, nice and solid and they looked pretty ok to me.

The stems are pretty sturdy, they resisted a fair bit when I was getting them into the car to get them home.
Some of the newer shoots, the shorter ones are more pliable.

To encourage growth, what type of feed would you suggest and when is the right time to apply it?

bibibobo

Rancid wrote: »

Dublin, Woodies DIY, €69.95 each. and between 7 and 8ft tall.

They still have them, and the P. Nigra and Aurea, too. All in good condition, nice and healthy.
I think they have some of the smaller bamboos, too.

That seems quite expensive for what is such a common asian plant. Apart from Woodies can anybody recommend other good places to buy bamboo in north east dublin? Also, if i grow them in big pots would that stunt growth compared to growing them in the ground?

Sonnenblumen

bibibobo wrote: »

That seems quite expensive for what is such a common asian plant. Apart from Woodies can anybody recommend other good places to buy bamboo in north east dublin? Also, if i grow them in big pots would that stunt growth compared to growing them in the ground?

Try Tully Nurseries in Ballyboughal, good selection. Better range and prices from Scalpwood Nurseries (on the Sth side, Kilternan).

Bamboos perform well in pots but not as vogorous, but be careful in pots they are vunerable (wind + Drought). P-Nigra is a nice variety, not too big and slower growing, stems eventually going black. Consider removing all lower stems to expose stems, striking with an uplighter.

Another variety that looks particularly well in Pots is Bambusa Metake (broadleaf).
SB

Sonnenblumen

Rancid wrote: »

I just checked the pots mine came in and they're approx 12 inches in diameter and 12 inches high.
Lots of roots winding around everywhere, nice and solid and they looked pretty ok to me.

The stems are pretty sturdy, they resisted a fair bit when I was getting them into the car to get them home.
Some of the newer shoots, the shorter ones are more pliable.

To encourage growth, what type of feed would you suggest and when is the right time to apply it?

Apply a liquid feed during the groing season from March onwards until Sept/Oct. Any general fertiliser eg Miracle Gro will do or alternatively you could use slow release pellets or one of my favourites Fish Bone & Blood.
I recommend that plants are watered first before appying a liquid feed.

New stems are very pliable, mature canes tend to be stiff, but incredible stiff after cutting. New stems can emerge after a heavy shower. Bamboos are a tremendous plant in the right position are very appealing and reliable.

bibibobo

thanks guys. Am particularly looking for a fast growing variety to provide good height screening for overlooked backgarden.

thanks.

Rancid

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

Apply a liquid feed during the groing season from March onwards until Sept/Oct. Any general fertiliser eg Miracle Gro will do or alternatively you could use slow release pellets or one of my favourites Fish Bone & Blood.
I recommend that plants are watered first before appying a liquid feed.

New stems are very pliable, mature canes tend to be stiff, but incredible stiff after cutting. New stems can emerge after a heavy shower. Bamboos are a tremendous plant in the right position are very appealing and reliable.

Thanks!
I'll follow your advice from March onwards.
They look healthy and I intend to keep them that way, I hope.

I hope the sparrows, blue and coal tits, chaffinches and blackbirds that visit the garden everyday approve!

dec.foley

I got a 10 - 12 foot bamboo last year .. was planning a bamboo / grasses area in the garden but am now leaning towards some hardwoods / grasses for a more Irish effect ..

so i have a good bamboo plant going very reasonably to a good home / swap for something of interest .. its planted and doing very well .

PM me for PIC / Details


thanks